Back pain is something many of us recogniseThere are many causes for back pain and people can often have more than a few things going on inside their back. Sadly, by the time someone seeks help, they may have been putting up with their pain for weeks or even months! After such a long stretch of pain and discomfort, there may be secondary consequences..... here's a common tale:

Mr Smith helps his daughter move house. He lifts something heavy awkwardly and feels his back 'go'. In the morning it's very painful but he takes some pain killers and over the next few days the pain decreases. Weeks pass...... Mr Smith can function but he is not sleeping well, feels very stiff in the mornings and his back hurts when he sits on the sofa at night - he assumes things will improve on their own. One day, Mr Smith is moving some furniture for his wife and suddenly his back 'goes' again... this time it's much worse with sharp pain down his leg and he can't get comfortable anywhere...

Had Mr Smith sought help after the first episode of pain, he could have avoided the second, more significant episode. Instead of dealing with a simple muscle strain for example, we are often presented with secondary joint dysfunction, changes in postural habits (limping or becoming crooked), over active muscles and even nerve problems. It's not uncommon for people to only seek our help once they get additional knee, hip or neck pain! These seondary consequences can often be avoided by visiting a Physiotherapist earlier. Being treated and educated about the do's and don'ts of recovery really is a stitch in time.

It's a common misconception that problems will just get better spontaneously. Sometimes they do of course - you have an episode of pain, manage it as best you can (for example you rest, take pain killers, move gently and avoid further strain) and then things return completely to normal - great! However.....if you take all the above precautions and things are not improving or improving only to a point, then you will benefit from coming in to see us. We would much rather catch you early and save you a severe incident. Ok, you won't need as much Physiotherapy as poor Mr Smith but you can spread the word about how quickly you recovered and how much you learned about caring for your back. We prefer that kind of publicity.